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Whistleblower Protection Unit

The Indiana Department of Labor’s Whistleblower Protection Unit seeks to provide protection for Hoosier workers who have engaged in a protected activity, and as a result, have been subjected to an adverse action. Protected activities covered under the Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act) include:

Filing safety and health complaints with IOSHA,

Participating in an IOSHA inspection,

Testifying in occupational safety or health proceedings,

Filing a complaint with another regulatory entity (e.g. IDEM, State Department of Health, etc.),

Raising safety and health concerns with employee management,

Complaints to coworkers, and/or

Work refusal (if a reasonable person would agree that work conditions pose an imminent danger that would result in serious injury or death).

Employees who believe that they have been discharged or discriminated against for engaging in a protected activity, may, within 30 calendar days after the alleged offense, file a complaint with the Indiana Department of Labor (IDOL). An individual filing a complaint of discrimination or retaliation is required to show that he or she engaged in a protected activity, that the employer knew about the activity, that the employer subjected him/her to adverse employment action and that the protected activity contributed to the adverse action. Depending on the circumstances of the case, “discrimination” can include the following:

Firing or laying off,

Demoting,

Denying overtime or promotion,

Disciplining,

Denial of benefits,

Intimidation/harassment,

Reassignment affecting prospects of promotion, and/or

Reducing pay or hours.

To learn more about the IDOL's Whistleblower Protection Unit, please call (317) 234-3946 or email whistleblower@dol.in.gov.

Whistleblower Protection Online Complaint Form

While the online complaint form is the preferred method of filing a whistleblower complaint, you can also file a whistleblower complaint by calling (317) 234-3946 or by emailing whistleblower@dol.in.gov.

Age Discrimination Complaints

The Whistleblower Protection Unit also seeks to provide protection to employees who believe they've been discriminated in employment for reasons of Age. In order to file an Age Discrimination Complaint with the IDOL's Whistleblower Protection Unit, a complainant must be between the ages of 40 and 75 and work for an employer who employs 20 or fewer employees. Complainants whose employer employs more than 20 employees should contact the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. To learn more about the IDOL's age discrimination complaint process, please phone or email the Whistleblower Protection Unit. To file an age discrimination complaint, please click on the Online Complaint Form below.